British Airways moving into the spotlight over distribution model

British Airways is under the microscope over its distribution strategy as GDS negotiations start to appear on the horizon and sister carrier American Airlines continues to push the direct-connect model.

British Airways is under the microscope over its distribution strategy as GDS negotiations start to appear on the horizon and sister carrier American Airlines continues to push the direct-connect model.

When asked in early-January this year about the controversial American Airlines strategy to install so-called direct-connect technology with agency customers (bypassing the GDSs), British Airways said officially that it has a “good working relationship” with the GDSs and the model is “working as we would expect”.

Willie Walsh, BA CEO at the time before moving upstairs to front the new International Airlines Group (uniting BA and Iberia), dropped a hint that the AA direct-connect idea was more than on the radar when he acknowledged IATA supremo Giovanni Bisignani’s comments over the profitability of the GDSs.